I unfortunately don't own the world of Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does.

Just a quick thanks to Loonynamelass, emcee31, Sam-EvansBlue, xXxDragonxPhoenixXx, trini bear, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, Heartless-Princess33, Crescent Beam Shower, soccergurl31294, Allen Pitt, Apocolips, WolfAngel75, meandthedoctor,Luxord's Xigbar, Slytherin96, Sin - NaMe, XxMiSs. IdPeNdEnTxX, 0candycane0, Mitin, twilightaddict98, Madeline Cullen, translucent steeds, and BootsJim.

Just so you know, I'm writing 6 other stories as well. Thanks! :)

Chapter 54:

Revealing the Truth

It was just before lunchtime on a Saturday, but considering she wasn't hungry, she was instead making her way to "her room" – she hadn't spent so much time cooped up in there since she had become friends with Theo. But hearing a commotion made her pause and warily change directions. Turning the corner, she saw the problem.

Harry was facing a few rather angry Gryffindors – she guessed that they had read The Daily Prophet and now believed in it rather then in their own classmate.

"You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you; you reckon he's telling the truth?"Someone asked – Seamus Finnegan, she believed it was.

"I know I do," she said, her tone braver then she felt as she stepped forward and to Harry's side. Eyes widened all around her.

"And why should we believe you?" the Irish boy asked, his voice cold.

"It's my business as to why I believe him – but it's another to accuse your own roommate of lying, especially when you know he wouldn't." she said, her voice turning frosty as she spoke, making sure to stare him right back in the eye.

After a moment, he left, glaring at the two witnesses and the rest of the crowd dispersed. She tired to go as well but Harry stopped her.

"Thanks…I think," he said, unsure of what exactly to say. She gave him a small smile and nod.

"You're welcome," she replied, going to leave once more.

"Why'd you do it?" Ron asked.

"Because I know Harry's right," she said, her tone of voice leaving no debate. The three Gryffindors stared at her back, wondering why she had spoken up with such conviction.

A few weeks later, Ariella was wandering the halls of Hogwarts aimlessly (it wasn't like she had anything better to do anymore…) when she heard a voice behind her.

"Oi! Lyons!"

She turned and found herself face to face with second year Dennis Creevey, though it was his older brother who had called out to her. Colin Creevey, a fourth year, was standing a few feet back, watching them closely. Both were Gryffindors and it was quite obvious that the older boy didn't trust her one bit.

"Yes?" she said, looking down at the younger of the two boys.

"Ar – Are you Ariella Ly – Lyons?" Dennis asked nervously.

"Yes, that's me," she said, still a bit confused.

"Pr - Professor Dumbledore said t – to tell you 'it is t-time'." Ariella's brow furrowed.

"It is time?" she muttered under her breath, playing the words on her lips. Then she smiled. She now realized what the words meant. She remembered in her first year, a conversation she had had with the headmaster.

"Thanks," she said to Dennis, before looking up and asking Colin,

"Do you know where Harry Potter is right now?" The Gryffindor's eyes narrowed.

"Why do you want to know?" he questioned. Whatever happened to the carefree, picture–taking boy? Ariella thought briefly before replying.

"Because I need to talk to him," she said. When Colin didn't respond, she muttered,

"Never mind," and raced pass him. After rounding a few corners, she finally found him. He was standing in the hall, talking in a hushed voice to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

"Harry!" she called, slowing down as she reached them, trying to catch her breath.

"Er…hi," he responded, shooting a look at Ron.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked. After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Alone?" With another uneasy glance at his friends, Harry nodded.

"Thanks," she muttered quickly, before turning and leading Harry down the hallway. As they neared the dungeons, Harry asked nervously,

"You're not taking me to the Slytherin Common Room, are you?"

Ariella laughed a bit and looking over her shoulder, said,

"No Harry, I have no wish to be there, now or ever." Harry relaxed a bit after she said that. For some reason, he believed her.

After about five minutes, she turned down a hallway that Harry had never been down before. As they approached, the painting on the left sprung to life. The lioness stepped forward and asked her gently,

"Are you sure you want to show him?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Ariella replied, though Harry had no clue what they were talking about. The cub nodded and then a door appeared in front of them. Ariella stepped forward and muttered something. Must be a password, thought Harry as he stepped through the doorway. He stopped short once inside, and stared.

"What is this place?" he asked quietly.

"My escape," Ariella replied in a soft voice. Harry turned to look at her. "I found this room in our second year. I've been using it ever since." There was a long pause, and then Ariella spoke again.

"Why don't you sit down? There's rather a lot I have to tell you." she said, gesturing to a chair opposite her.

"Er, okay," Harry said, still confused.

"Where to start?" Ariella muttered quietly to herself.

"Maybe at the beginning?" Harry suggested.

"Okay, well, I was born on January 20,…" Ariella started, laughing a bit. Harry smiled ever so slightly.

"No, seriously, I would have told you this sooner, but Dumbledore wanted me to wait." This got Harry's attention.

"Dumbledore wants you to tell me…whatever you have to tell me?" he asked her is disbelief.

"Yes," she replied simply. Ariella took a deep breath, and began to tell her story.

"Okay, here goes. When I was four, I was taken away to work for the Malfoys. It would have been when I was one, except for the fact that certain medical complications got in the way. I've lived with them ever since. I'm bound to them as their servant."

"Can they do that?" Harry asked in her pause for breath.

"Yes, unfortunately they can. I'm bound with a mark, (which I'll show you later,) as well as some complicated spells that I don't even know. It's some ancient Pureblood thing."

"So, you're like a human house elf to them, then," Harry asked as confirmation, still trying to understand the situation his classmate was in.

"Sort of, yeah," Ariella said, agreeing.

"Is that what Malfoy meant at the end of second year? When he started to contradict Hermione when she said he didn't own you?" Ariella thought for a moment, thinking back to the train ride coming home from second year, before nodding and continuing to explain.

"I have to follow whatever they ask or the mark will burn…among other things. Along with this, certain curses are now permitted, and legalized if they use it directly on me. The Imperius for one. The Cruciatus for another." she said, her face darkening.

"What?" Harry exclaimed, incredulous.

"So you mean that last year, when Malfoy used the Cruciatus Curse on you, he couldn't have gotten in trouble?"

"Legally, no. It was similar in that one certain Defense class, earlier that day, because Draco gave the defense teacher permission."

"That makes sense, I guess. I remember going to McGonagall and her saying that she couldn't do anything about it." Harry said.

"Yo – You went to McGonagall? About me?" Ariella asked, stunned.

"Uh, yeah. Hermione, Ron and I did after we saw Malfoy use the Cruciatus on you." Harry replied uncomfortably. There was a moment of silence, and Ariella could feel her cheeks heating up just a bit.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Of course, that was only after Hermione insisted because she couldn't find any answers in the library. Yet another afternoon wasted away in the library with a crazy Hermione," Harry said, eager to ease the tension that had arisen. Ariella laughed a bit, thankful for the distraction.

"Thanks, I – I didn't realize that you were so concerned over what had happened," she said, before taking a quick breath and continuing on with her story.

"So anyway, I saw my parents one more time after that. It was in late August of the same year. Two weeks after my sister was born. I haven't seen or heard from them since."

"Really?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes." Ariella responded, looking down, pausing a moment before continuing. "So fast-forward to Hogwarts. I was permitted to go, with the understanding that I would act like Draco's puppy dog. Since he was sorted into Slytherin, that's where I was put. But I was never sorted. The Sorting Hat never actually touched my head."

"That makes sense, I guess." Harry said, still a bit puzzled, but starting to understand. "You certainly don't act like a Slytherin. Now it makes since why you dislike them so much."

"Good. I have no desire to be like them." Ariella replied. "Nothing really important happened that you don't either already know about, or that I'm going to tell you until the end of fourth year." The girl took a deep breath, and said,

"I'm sorry about this next part. But it's important that you know. The night that Voldemort arose, Mr. Malfoy summoned me there. Since he is my master and Voldemort is his, Voldemort is technically my master as well. At least, that's how they reasoned it. Lucius forced me to receive the Dark Mark that night."

"That was you, then. The person in the shadows that Voldemort addressed was you." Harry said in realization as he thought back to that horrific night.

"Yes. I've been trying to find out what I can, but I haven't been to many meetings nor am I trusted, so it's not really working to the Order's advantage."

"So that's why you believe me this year." Harry asked, the truth dawning on him.

"I would have believed you anyway. But yeah."

"May – May I see the mark?" Harry asked. Though he knew what it looked like, he never really got to see it up close without danger present. She nodded, and removed her left arm from her old sweatshirt.

She grew serious as they focused on her arm.

"You obviously know what the Dark Mark is," she started, gesturing to the mark on her forearm. Harry bent forward to see it better – to study it a bit.

Harry's eyes then drifted upward, where he let his fingers trace the air above the mark. He felt disgusted – how could someone do that to another creature, let alone another human being?

"This is the mark then binds me to the Malfoys. Lovely, isn't it?" she asked wryly, putting her arm back in her sweatshirt sleeve, once more covering up the ugly black marks.

"Who else know this? Besides the Professors and the Malfoys?" Harry asked.

"Just Theodore Nott."

"Really? But he seems to be so nice to you," the boy responded in surprise.

"Yeah, well that was a surprise. Last year, he came over to talk to me. Draco wasn't pleased, so he cornered him while I wasn't around and said some things that made Theo come and find me to find out the truth. But surprisingly enough, he still wanted to be my friend despite what I am." She explained.

"Bet that didn't make Malfoy happy." Harry commented.

"Not at all," Ariella replied with a laugh.

"There's not much else to tell." She continued.

"I'm a Parselmouth, but I'm not quite sure how. Oh! Wait, there's one more thing, but it's not really significant, just something you should know, just in case."

Harry nodded for her to go on, intrigued to see what else there could be that he would have to know.

"When I'm summoned, it doesn't matter where I am, the mark will burn and, when I press the respected diamond, I will be transported to the person who wants to see me. This happens a lot during the school year. Apparently the Hogwarts Apparition rule doesn't apply.

"Wow!" Harry breathed softly.

"I think that's about it. Dumbledore wanted me to tell you because he wanted you to know that you weren't alone." There was a moment of silence, before both started speaking at once. Harry stopped and let her go first.

"Harry, I know you don't like keeping things from Ron and Hermione, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind keeping this from them. I don't feel ready to tell anyone else yet. But I do hope that this explains things, and clears things up for you."

"No, I wouldn't mind. I understand completely. Besides, it's not really my place to tell them." After a pause, he continued.

"Thank you for telling me. I would like you to, and if you don't want to, it's perfectly fine, but I was wondering, er… if you…"

"Harry, what is it you're trying to tell me?"

"You know how Umbridge is just teaching us theory?" Ariella's brow furrowed, but she nodded. Harry, however, noticed this.

"Wait…why haven't I seen you in classes anymore?" he asked, a concern an undertone in his voice.

"After my first Defense class, Umbridge made stay after. She said that as a servant, I shouldn't be learning like I'm an equal to you. So she forbade me from attending my classes and took my wand as well. She also threatened to tell Mr. Malfoy if I complained or disobeyed." She explained, looking down at her lap, ashamed.

Harry just looked at her, sympathy in his eyes, before he continued what he was explaining before.

"I'm sorry. But to continue, since we're not learning much and we kind of need to, a bunch of us got together and formed a secret group. It's a defense group and I'm teaching them what I know. I was wondering if you'd like to join. You could always borrow a wand if you needed to." Ariella smiled slightly.

"While I'd like that a lot, Harry, I doubt the others will be too happy to see me." Harry shook his head once.

"That doesn't matter. Look at all the rubbish the Prophet's said about me. I don't let it get to me."

"Too much," she added. Harry just shrugged.

"I guess you're right. Fine, I'll join, but I'm warning you know, I may have to leave early, or come late sometimes. I can't let Draco get suspicious. And if I'm summoned, I have to go."

"That's fine, I understand now. Here you go. Hermione cast a Protean charm on them, so that they'll burn when I change the date and time. It's always held in the Room of Requirement. It's located on the seventh floor across the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. We usually meet once a week." Ariella nodded once more as Harry handed her a fake Galleon.

"Thank you, Harry. Oh, and if you ever need to get into this room, the password is 'chai'."

"Chai?" Harry asked, curious.

"It means life."

"Okay. I'll see you around, then?" He asked, standing up.

"That'd be nice. Have a good rest of your day." Ariella said, smiling shyly. Harry nodded, and smiled back before leaving.

On his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry thought about what Ariella had just told him. She was being forced to work for the Malfoys and by the look on her face when she mentioned that the Cruciatus Curse was legal, it seemed like she had been put under it more than once. She wasn't really a Slytherin, (which, in his head, seemed to put his mind at ease about both being friends with her and inviting her into the D.A.) Because she was their servant, she had been forced into receiving the Dark Mark. And, though Harry never thought he would think this, but maybe being a Death Eater didn't necessarily mean you were a Dark wizard. Then again, she didn't want this to begin with. He was confused, but at the same time, glad that she had told him. And he didn't regret inviting her to join the D.A., especially considering that Umbridge had made her suffer as well as the rest of them. Now his only problem was…what would the others think?

Anything you recognize is from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Thanks to all who are reading and enjoying this story. If you have any suggestions, (i.e. would like to see something happen, etc.) questions, or comments, please feel free to private message me. Thanks! ~ Leanora